Solving the Conflict in Choice of Handgun Calibers

There's something common between the .38 New Police, the British .380 and the Belgian 9mm. To the initiated, they are nothing but the different names for the .38S&W cartridge; to those who are not, they are an entire load of awe! However, another similarity that exists is the weight of the load; they are all 200-grains in weight. Alternatively, they are also known as the .380-200 (Brit usage) and the .38 Super Police and. These stubby and little rounds have created history since their invention.

Now, you must be thinking - "what's the deal with the .38 Special, then? Is it just another name for the same one?" No, definitely not; the S&W and the Special are not interchangeable terms (though together, they make for a more powerful round). Aside from the technology associated, in practical usage, the.38 S&W exhibits more accuracy; has gentler recoils and create mild and pleasant reports. No wonder that its introduction to the market in 1876 made it an overnight success! It's a different story that gun writers (who never, in their entire life fired a weapon) gave the .38 S&W the stigma; we shall discuss it some other day. For the time being, let's see where the .357 Magnum stands in comparison with it.

The .357 Magnum - though a favorite to the police forces at one point of time - quickly got replaced by the 9mm; now, it's a rage among the older shooting enthusiasts. However, it's a derivative of the .38 Special cartridge; it's the case that got lengthened to 1.29" from 1.16"; the rounded, nose-shaped 158-grain bullet got transformed to a semi-wadcutter or SWC shape driven by a smokeless propellant. This imparted an additional 1,500 feet per second. On the usability side, this made a .38 caliber gun owner virtually an owner of two guns, since the same gun becomes able to fire two cartridges of different calibers.

Currently, the .357 makes an excellent round for those who focus strongly on self-defense. It definitely marks Gold when it comes to stopping power but then again, one must not compare it to the .50 Action Express (AE) or the .41 Magnum, the .44 Magnum or the .454 Casull. These are obviously more powerful and are suitable for stopping large games (bears, for example) and obviously, the recoil is more.

Whereas for the .38 S&W, these cartridges use bullets of a larger diameter than any other in its class (these gave them the name of 'man-stoppers' from the Brits); the 200-grain lead bullet - according to them - have an effect as good as a .455 caliber. Besides, they are easy to get since there are more number of manufacturers than the other types.

Therefore, if you are most happy to go 'bang bang' every weekend, look no further than the .38 S&W and if you are looking for just a decent stopping power, the .357 should be your choice.